Biomedical subjects

Ahmad Beydoun

Publications and source records attributed to Ahmad Beydoun.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Oxcarbazepine.

Oxcarbazepine is one of the recently introduced anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) in the US. This drug has demonstrated efficacy as adjunctive therapy in adults and children, and as monotherapy in adults for the treatment of seizures of partial onset. There is also convincing evidence of its efficacy in patients with newly diagnosed and refractory trigeminal neuralgia. In addition, the initial efficacy results of oxcarbazepine in other neuropathic pain conditions and in bipolar disorders are encouraging. In this review, recommendations on the optimal clinical use of oxcarbazepine are given based on its pharmacokinetic profile, efficacy and tolerability in those various conditions.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Appropriate use of medications for seizures. Guiding principles on the path of efficacy.

Selection of medication for treatment of seizures requires careful consideration and a multifactorial, individualized evaluation. First and foremost, the choice of a particular AED should be based on its efficacy against the seizure type or types or epilepsy syndrome being treated. Other factors, such as concomitant medical conditions, may also play a role in the type or dosage of medication prescribed. (For example, dosages of topiramate and levetiracetam should be adjusted in patients with renal impairment, and dosages of tiagabine should be adjusted in patients with liver dysfunction.) Other guidelines, discussed in detail in this article, can be applied irrespective of the particular drug chosen. Because the presence of epilepsy can have a significant bearing on quality of life, the decision to discontinue treatment should be made in congruence with the patient's needs, wishes, and commitments.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of oxcarbazepine in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of oxcarbazepine in the treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy. METHODS: This was an open-label, 9-week trial, consisting of a 1-week prospective Screening Phase followed by an 8-week Treatment Phase. Treatment with oxcarbazepine was initiated at 150 mg/day, and the daily dose was doubled on a weekly basis and titrated to tolerability over 4 weeks, up to 1200 mg/day. This was followed by a 4-week fixed-dose Maintenance Phase, during which patients were maintained on oxcarbazepine at 1200 mg/day or highest tolerated dose. The primary efficacy variable was the change in the weekly pain rating assessed on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire between the Screening Phase and the Treatment Phase. All analyses were performed on the intent-to-treat population. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled in the trial. The mean daily oxcarbazepine dose during the Maintenance Phase was 814 mg. The mean VAS score dropped from 66.3 during the Screening Phase to 34.3 at the end of the trial (P = 0.0001), for a mean reduction of 48.3%. In addition, there were significant improvements in the total pain score and present pain intensity. Oxcarbazepine was well tolerated, with the most common adverse events consisting of drowsiness and dizziness. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that oxcarbazepine administered as monotherapy is an efficacious and safe option for the symptomatic treatment of pain associated with symmetrical diabetic neuropathy. These results will need to be confirmed in large, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials.

Adult↗